This invention relates generally to improvements in friction drag adjustment mechanisms in fishing reels and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to a relatively simple and economical device for permitting a star-type drag adjustment assembly to be adjusted quickly and easily between a pair of selected and reproducible reference set points.
Drag adjustment mechanisms in fishing reels are, in general terms, well known in the art for use in variably selecting the drag tension or resistance force applied to a fishing line. That is, modern fishing reels typically include a spool of line in conjunction with a reel handle which is rotated by the fisherman to wind the line onto the spool. A friction drag or clutch assembly is commonly interposed between the spool and reel handle to permit additional line to unwind from the spool with a selected resistance force referred to as drag tension. This drag feature permits a hooked fish to pull line from the fishing reel to avoid breaking the line and for purposes of tiring the fish. The particular drag tension setting is chosen in accordance with test strength of the line in use in combination with the anticipated type and size of fish to be caught.
More particularly, the drag tension setting is normally chosen at the time the fishing line is initially dropped into the water, with the specific setting providing a tension force approximately equal to 25% to 30% of the line test strength. However, when a fish is caught, the actual drag tension applied to the line will vary as an inverse function of the spool diameter. For example, in the event that a large fish draws a substantial length of the fishing line from the reel, the effective spool diameter can decrease significantly to result in a correspondingly significant increase in drag tension. It is therefore sometimes desirable to adjust the drag tension while a fish is on the line. In the foregoing example, it may be desirable to decrease the drag tension setting in the course of substantial line being taken from the spool, and thereafter to increase the drag setting as the line is wound back onto the spool. In this context, it can be important and desirable to readjust the drag setting to the initial set point position.
In the past, fishing reels equipped with drag adjustment assemblies have included relatively complex and costly mechanisms for adjusting line drag tension between preset positions. Such fishing reels having preset drag tension capabilities have generally been designed for ocean fishing and/or for catching relatively large fish, and have been sufficiently costly such that they are not widely used by many fisherman. An alternative drag adjustment assembly known commonly as a star-type mechanism incorporates a spoked adjustment wheel at the inboard side of a reel handle to adjust drag tension by compression action through a stack of clutch disks. Star-type adjustment mechanisms are widely used on less costly fishing reels and beneficially permit simple drag tension adjustment, but generally do not accommodate drag adjustment with respect to one or more reference set point positions. Attempts in the past to adapt star-type mechanisms to include reference point positions have involved relatively complicated arrangements requiring significant mechanism modifications and thus have not been suited for simple retrofit of existing units. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,162.
The present invention provides an improved drag adjustment mechanism for a fishing reel, wherein a star-type drag adjustment assembly incorporates a relatively simple and easily mounted stop pin for providing a pair of reference set point positions, wherein the stop pin can be provided as an original equipment item or otherwise added as a retrofit item onto existing fishing reels.